The Shadowguard
by Mindtrick
Summary: The Story of Lucas Balthier. Student of Hogwarts. Dark Wizardintraining. Its a new cast, but im sure old favourites will find a way into the story. Im not really sure where its going, to be honest, so suggestions are welcome! First story by the way! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**The Shadowgaurd**

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A light knock at his bedroom door, made Lucas look up from the book he had been engrossed in for the past couple of hours. The Shadowgaurd by S.S. He put his mark on a particular chilling sketch depicting a night time scene, of lightning flashing in the distance, as a horned demon hound, lurked behind a dark robed wizard wrapped tightly in a cloak, fending off the wind that blew on the small hill that he walked. Lucas closed the leather bound book and placed it on his desk infront of him. He walked to the door, rubbing his neck which had begun to ache with the hours he spent poring over this book of dark magic.

He opened the door, a little light from a wall mounted lamp, entered the small room in which he stayed at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. No one stood outside. _Strange_, Lucas thought to himself. He stuck his head round the door and scanned the corridor. Nothing. Resigned to the belief that he was the butt of a practical joke, Lucas turned back into his room.

"Interesting choice of reading material, Mr. Balthier"

Lucas froze. How the fuck had someone gotten into his room, his mind raced. Should he reach for his wand? Should he flee into the hallway? Should he scream?

"There is nothing to fear, Mr. Balthier. I intend you no harm. I wish only a conversation."

The voice was soft, but it carried a menacing truth, that he was in control. Lucas turned slowly. There against his desk leant a hooded figure, his face hidden by the shadow of his deep cowl. He was built the same a Lucas, quite tall with a slender frame the little light that came from the candle on his desk, showed the intruder to be decked in black from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Lucas' voice shook a little. He felt a little insecure dressed in his light blue casual trousers, tight white t-shirt, and blue slippers, facing his bedroom intruder.

"You can call me Harval" The dark figure put down Lucas' book, and pushed back his hood. The intruder was a man of middle age, with medium length black hair, and piercing steel grey eyes. Stubble lined his jaw, giving him a rough, seasoned look. The hand that now rested on his book, was lined with small scars, Lucas noticed. "So this interests you?"

"What?" Lucas looked up from his appraisal of his visitor.

"The Dark Arts. This book. Its rare, written by a very powerful wizard. Are you trying to learn the secrets it holds?" Harval seemed a little amused. The initial shock of seeing this man in his bedroom had begun to wear off, on Lucas. He grew more confident, and closed the door behind him. The small candle Lucas had been using to read by, cast Harval, in a mysterious light.

"I found this book in muggle bookstore, i think they thought it a work of fiction. It caught my attention, the moment i saw it. I have been reading it, and it seems that it is only an excellent description of some of the power that can be achieved through dark magic. Not an instruction manual on how to conjure the magical beings and cast the spells"

"The more times you read it, the more the magic of the book will open up to you. The author was a teacher of mine back in my early days. He was a great dark wizard, a man who truly knew the power and dangers of the Dark Arts. He would not want to reveal the secrets and mysteries of the Darkness, to just anyone. Not until the wizard fully knew the path they were now walking. And of course had the potential to become a dark wizard" Harval this time definitely smiled at Lucas. "What an enigma, he was"

"I am not evil" Lucas told him. "I know the stigma attached to the use of the Dark Arts, I just want the power, that dark magic holds. I believe that the Holy magic that can be learnt, is equally as powerful. I am just more inclined to the shadow"

"Nor will this book turn you evil. It is not a dark wizards handbook. There are many more works that can offer insight into the Dark Arts. But ultimately the power to be defined and good or evil lies within the user himself. They are the masters of their own fate" Harval shifted underneath his robe, folding his arms across his chest.

Harval studied him from across the room. His dishevelled brown hair, his grey eyes just like his, but so different. He could easily destroy him right now, hi ability was no where near his own at the moment. But thought better of it. The boy was young and impressionable, as time passes his view on life could change, for better or worse. Who knows what was in store for them both in the future.

There was a heavy silence. Lucas' wand lay on his bedside cabinet, along with his dagger. He didn't expect there to be a fight, but he worked out his options just in case. His mind ran down the list of spells that were available to him. The jinxes he had mastered so easily in this previous three years at Hogwarts, now seemed useless in the situation he now found himself in.

"Who are you?" Lucas broke the silence. "Yes your name is Harval, but who are you?"

"I am a Scholar. I travel the world, seeking knowledge. I have studied the darkest magic. You can only imagine what i have seen. But now is not the time to tell you why i have returned to Britain. I will return to you from time to time. I have an interest in you. Keep studying Mr. Balthier."

Without warning, Harval turned and dived through the open bedroom window. Lucas dashed to the window in time to see, a great black bird, screech and soar off out of the castle grounds. Lucase continued to look out over the grounds, deliberating over the events of the night. This Harval had raised many questions in his young mind. But the one that had piqued his curiosity was why? Why had this Harval taken an interest in a fourteen year old wizard-in-training. Yes he was a talented teenager, with an ability that surpassed most in the years above him. All his teachers told him that he could go on to do great things later on in life. But why had this mysterious man secreted himself into his bedroom in the middle of the night of his first day of his fourth year of school.

Lucas continued to look out over the massive grounds of Hogwarts. A cool breeze swept into the room, raising goosebumps on his arms and chest. The chill air, broke him from his reverie. He shuttered the window, and blew out his candle. Darkness descended on his room, and Lucas gave a contented sigh. He was now home. He was now safe. The dark was a friend.

He pulled back the covers of his bed and settled down into bed. He lay on his back, his arms above his head, and as he drifted off into sleep, his thoughts were once again filled with dark magic.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

A heavy mist hung over the great lake on this early morning, as Lucas sprinted around the edge. Pebbles crunched underneath his trainers, as his feet pounded away at the ground. Lucas pushed himself as far as he could physically go, he sucked in air as fast as he could, as exhaustion finally began to catch up on him. Sweat poured inside his grey hooded jacket and black jogging bottoms, soaking his body. He pulled up at the trees where the forest met the lake. He put his arms up against the old, sturdy tree, and gasped for air. As he regained his breath, he pulled off his jacket and dropped it to the mossy ground beneath him. His white shirt had become near see through from the moisture, and clung to his defined, muscled stomach.

Lucas turned and looked over the lake, running a hand through his slightly sticky hair. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains, casting its rays on the magnificent castle. He sunk beneath the tree, knowing he had only a short time before breakfast would be served in the great hall.

He quickly began to walk upto the castle. All night, and all through his run, he had been plagued with the nagging questions of his late night encounter with Harval. But with his classes beginning today, he pushed it from his mind for the time being. Making a mental note to come back to it, when he had worked out some answers.

As he entered the hallway that lead to the Great Hall he could hear the sound of breakfast being served to his fellow students. He pushed open the door and entered the Great Hall, the sun now shined brilliantly down through the ceilling. It was a sight that had taken his breath away the first time he had stepped into this hall, and it was a constant reminder of how much his life had changed. And for the better. He could see the teachers at their high table, chatting away with each other, much like all the students infront of him. It seemed that everyone was interested in catching up with friends. They all seemed to be recounting their adventurous summer holidays, which interested Lucas not in the slightest.

Lucas walked over to his house table, and leant between to first-years to pick up some fruit. He bit into a bright red apple, as he looked for a pitcher of water between the mounds of food on the table. Many eyes were on him as he went about his business of pouring a pint of ice cold water, downing it, then refilling the glass. Most of the glances were coming from the girl population of the school. He was a handsome young boy, who looked a lot older than he was, an his constant training over the summer had given him a lean, muscled body, which drew envious glances from the boys. While he enjoyed the attention the girls were giving him, he didnt act upon it. And it was as much out of the fact that he didnt know how to, as much as he considered himself a lone wolf type person. Lucas was a solitary figure, and he liked it that way. He was at Hogwarts to study, not make friends.

He lifted his shirt a little to adjust the belt, on which his wand was sheathed, causing him to give the girls infront of him a brief glimpse of his toned stomach. A burst of giggling erupted before him. He looked over at them, and all three of them blushed and giggled harder. Unsure on how to proceed, Lucas quickly turned and began to head out of the hall. In the past he hadn't even noticed the girls around him they were just there. He was oblivious. But it was different for him now, his fifteenth birthday was fast approaching, and somehow as he got older they were seemingly springing up from everywhere.

He exited the Great Hall, and began climbing the stairs to his Common Room and dormitory. He heard footsteps behind him, trying to catch up with him but he pushed on increasing his pace a little but never turning back. He asummed it was those girls from the breakfast table, and he had no wish to be confronted with them giggling idiots again. But as the footsteps drew closer, he felt a small hand grab him by the elbow and spin him around.

"Hi, Luc!" A bushy mane of red hair entered his vision, followed by sparkling eyes, looking slightly up at him. She was wearing her school robes, with the Gryffindor emblem stiched just above her bust, which Lucas noticed was rising and falling rapidly, from the effort it took to catch up with him. "Good summer?"

"Oh hello, Tess right? You're in my year aren't you?" Lucas, looked around to see if anyone was watching, trying to draw the attention away from the fact that he had been staring and hoping that Tess hadn't noticed his questionable gaze. "Yes it was excellent" Lucas, silently balked at that. What was he doing? He didn't understand why he was being so friendly. While not unpolite, Lucas rarely engaged in conversation with fellow classmates, which only added to his reputation as an outsider. She beamed at him. Lucas tried his hardest not to smile back, but turned and began to slowly walk off. Lucas cursed his bad luck as Tess began to follow. Lucas found that he didn't have much to say about his summer. In truth, Lucas had spent most of his time, either locked away in his bedroom studying the dark arts or running and swimming at his local leisure centre.

"You all set for the new year?" She asked him as they walked.

"I'm ready, i've been reading through this years books, and to be honest it all seems fairly easy" Lucas said. For a brief moment he thought he sounded smug and big-headed. But Tess just smiled. He was unsure whether she was just agreeing with him, or if the smile had a different meaning behind it. Am I reading too much into this? Lucas thought to himself.

"Have you signed up for the Battle School?" She asked, as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, leaving just a few strands framing her face.

"No I haven't" Lucas replied. When he had heard the announcement that there was to be a Battle School this year, he had decided not to enter it. He did see it as a place to test his abilities, but he also saw it as a chance to draw attention to his actual power, which was he had decided was too risky. It wouldn't take a genius to see the path he was headed down. There was already talk of it around the school. The fact that he had no real friends, was always dressed in dark colours, and always locked away with books, hadn't helped him to fit in with the rest of the students.

"Don't think your good enough do you?" Tess asked with a mischievous grin.

"I know im more powerful than anyone who enters that club." Lucas stated it as a fact. He locked eyes with her, and Tess had the feeling that he wasn't trying to show-off for her. "It doesn't interest me. I have no need to try and prove myself to the other students, in a bid to stand out from the crowd, or family, to ease my insecurites" He added.

Tess gasped in shock. Lucas turned to see her just standing there looking at him. As he saw the hurt in her eyes, Lucas thought over what he had just said. Where had that come from? As realisation struck him, Lucas was also a little taken aback by his words. _She didn't deserve that_, he told himself, _make amends_.

"But that could be because, i have no friends or family. So who knows" He gave her a small smile, which he hoped would appease her, which she noticed, and immeadiately raised one on her face. Lucas breathed a silent sigh of relief. He was not in the business of upsetting people for no reason. "Look Tess, I have to go and get ready for class. I'll see you around" Lucas turned and carried on down the corridor in which they had stopped after his outburst. He slung his grey jacket over his shoulder and sauntered down the corridor. Tess called out to him.

"Enter" She said.

Lucas just turned and looked at her.

"Im going straight downstairs to add your name to the list"

"Why?"

"Because" Tess thought about her next words carefully. "I would like to see you in action. I believe that you believe you are the best. But im not sure. Change my mind"

Lucas raised his eyebrows as he looked at her across the corridor. "And why would I want to do that?"

She clasped her hands behind her back, and gave him a look of total innocence."Oh, I don't know" She replied, the innocent look, changed to a mischeveous grin.

Lucas turned away from her and resumed his walk to the common room.

"If you don't say anything, im taking that as the sign to go ahead!" She shouted to him. He paused at the door to the final corridor that would lead to the common room, smiled to himself and continued walking, not saying a word. As the door closed behind him, he could have swore he heard a faint laugh, and the sound of running feet.


	3. Chapter 3

_What a strange couple of days these have been. First Harval, then Tess. I remember before getting on The Express, I was thinking about what was going to happen this year. And not in my wildest dreams did I expect to see a dark wizard in my bedroom, and the next day a beautiful girl challenge me to prove myself to her. Normally I would consider myself above things like that, and im not being arrogant. I just didn't see the point in such things. As long as I am happy with what I am doing, who I am becoming, I am fine. However Tess did something to me that I can't explain. She conjured a feeling in me that I had never felt before. I want to prove to her, and maybe I want her to see who I am becoming. And thats a big step for me, a new direction I may be taking. Who knows?_

_I have no friends and that is the way i've always wanted it. If I am to pursue the dark arts I can have no emotional attachments to anything except the magic. I have no idea where this path is going to lead me, I am entering the unknown. Its going to be dangerous there is no question of that. Perilous would be another word I would use to describe what I am doing. I can't give myself fully to my studies if I am pursuing other endeavours. Im not naive enough to think that that is the only reason that I have kept myself to myself for the past three years. I have trouble letting my guard down. I have no friends because I find it hard to trust people. I believe I know the source from which this stems from and until I work through that particular horrific experience, I don't think i'll be able to trust again._

_I honestly think im reading to much into my brief encounter with Tess. However it has had such an effect on me it is unbelieveable. Tess could be the key to unlocking the emotional fortress that I have erected around myself. But to be honest I have no idea what her intentions are. Thats two people that have come into my life in the last two days who I do not fully know and understand. I have no idea why she wants me to prove myself to her. Perhaps she sees me as a rival for something, perhaps she is interested in me, perhaps she is trying to humiliate me. I can only speculate. And I think its harsh to judge her before I get to know her. I can only wait and see, and while I have a big problem with letting things get out of my control, I find myself letting myself be led by her words into the first Battle School meeting. Where I believe in this mystery I will finally get some clues. And I must say I am looking forward to seeing her. _

_While the situation I now find myself in with Tess is confusing enough. It is no where near the maze of confusion I find myself in with Harval. Who was this man? It seems like this question is burning itself into every second of my life at the moment. However, I have come up with a list of things I know to be true about him, and I can only hope that I can learn more, when he returns. He was obviously very powerful, to break through the ancient magical enchantments of Hogwarts, was impressive. He is an animagus, the bird that had I had seen flying away on the night of the encounter after Harval had leapt out of the window, was too small to carry a full grown man on its back, so i can safely assume he is an animagus. Which is also no easy feat. He is a dark wizard, he claimed to have studied the dark arts, and I refuse to believe that anyone who gets a glimpse of the power that can be found in the shadow, can walk away from it. So I now wait for the next meeting we have and what secrets will come to light._

_I continue to read through the Shadowguard. If what Harval says is true, there is truly an amazing amount of dark magic available in this book. And I can understand why it is a rare book, I can't see the Ministry allowing a book of this nature to hit the shelves of Flourish and Blotts, where everyone can get at it. I believe it capable of corrupting weaker minds, to what purpose I don't know but that is how much I respect the power in these pages. I feel lucky to be learning from this great wizard. S.S. I must remember to ask Harval more about this man. If he really was a teacher of his, he may give a valuable insight into who this mysterious S.S. was._

_What intrigues me most about his work is his summoning ability. There is a passage in the book where the author is very honest about where he comes across this power. It would seem that he stumbled upon a Gateway as he described it, and through it he came into contact with a realm of demons. They came forth to speak to him, many different beings, of varying amounts of power. He writes that he developed a rapport with a few of their kind, most he explained were not interested in shifting realms, but he found some willing to do so. And somehow he managed to bring them into this plane of existence. I find it hard to imagine the amount of power that takes. The dog that stalks him in one of his pictures, looks a mighty ally. The Fel Hound he called it. A magnificent beast. I can only hope that I am up to the task, of reaching the dizzying heights of power this S.S. reached. __Harval did say the book would only speak to me if it deemed me worthy. _

_So I must prove myself on more than one level. I think I am in for a life changing period of my life. __And now as I look out of my window, as thoughts of Tess and Harval race through my mind, I am in a situation which will take some getting used to. I find that at this moment my fate is out of my hands._

_- Lucas Balthier_


End file.
